9th International Composition Seminar

Timeline

Submission period

Wed Jan 23 at 5 AM UTC

End of submission period

Sun Mar 17 at 10:59 PM UTC

Results date

Mon Apr 15 at 4 PM UTC

Hosted by the Ensemble Modern and the composer and conductor Enno Poppe, the International
Composition Seminar takes place for the ninth time in 2019/20 and is once again part of the festival
“cresc… – Biennale für Moderne Musik Frankfurt Rhein Main“.

In a first conceptual working meeting with the composer and conductor Enno Poppe and members of
Ensemble Modern, the participants’ initial compositional ideas, sound concepts and concrete technical and artistic issues will be discussed. Sketches of scores are not expected at this point.

About four months later, during reading sessions with Ensemble Modern, clearly sketched-out
approaches will be rehearsed. Intensive working processes will explicitly offer the opportunity to
engage in direct dialogue with the conductor and musicians, gaining insights for the finalization of the
new work.

After a final rehearsal phase that also leaves room for exchange and discussion, the new works are
premiered.

The 9th International Composition Seminar and its final concert are integrated into the fifth edition of
the festival cresc… – Biennale für Moderne Musik, which takes place from February 28 to March 7,
2020 in Frankfurt and the Rhine-Main area. Thanks to its the integration into an festival and support
via the media cooperation with Hessischer Rundfunk (Hessian Radio), the International Composition
Seminar enjoys special media attention, giving the final concert increased recognition. cresc… 2020 is
produced by Ensemble Modern and the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra together with further
partners.

Composers interested in this project are invited to participate in this project. The International
Composition Seminar champions diversity and welcomes applications from qualified composers,
regardless of gender, background or personal circumstances.

The thematic focus of the seminar is also the festival’s theme, ›Human_machine‹, examining the
relationship between humankind and technology, which is about to undergo drastic change due to the
acceleration of technological development. Social networks now know their users better than they do
themselves, offering undreamed-of possibilities of manipulation through the use of bots and fake
news. The internet of things is encompassing an increasing number of life’s areas, going from a tool to part of our identity. At the same time, recent innovations in artificial intelligence and biotechnology
have the long-term potential of changing the foundation of our image of humanity.